While on the bridge subject

I've always been fascinated with this bridge, walked over and have driven over several times. How would you start on something like this in 1929, how do you get the first thing stretched across? I like all those cables. Last time we were there I didn't have nerve enough to drive it, made me kind of quezzy just looking at it.
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I also could not drive across it.

Was there a few years ago. IIRC the span is about 800 feet above the river, similar to the Tillman bridge near Hoover Dam. Walked across that one too.

Was there with a couple buddies on motorcycle many years ago. First walked across it, then crossed it with the bikes. Don't think I could do it today.

Check this wiki site out. It's about the first Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge in Niagara Falls NY.First line across was a string on a kite. They tide on progressively bigger ropes and pulled them across.
falls bridge

I've been there 3 times as I recall, once as a child and 2 more times.

Interesting place, amazing structure to climb in and under.

As for how it was built, a series of ropes were carried across,probably by pack mules. Then a cable tramway was established that could carry the massive cables across.

It only took 6 months to build, was built without major incident or loss of life.

The primary reason for being built was for tourism. A little comparison to the value of a dollar then and now, it only cost $350,000 to build!

Looking down to the canyon below, there are the remains of a huge wooden pipeline. Would have been a massive undertaking, it tunnels through the rock in many places. It was used for pumping water from a reservoir upstream to a nearby town. But I never understood why there would be a need for water to be piped along a river?

There is also a crumpled remain of a car or truck embedded in the rocks part way down the canyon wall. Story is someone drove around the end of the bridge at full speed. No one knows why, suspected suicide.

There was a forest fire that went through in 2013, wiped out everything but the bridge itself. But everything has been rebuilt, and more added.

There was an inclined railroad that went to the bottom of the canyon, but it was lost to the fire and probably will not be rebuilt.

I'm ready to go back and see it again!

We walked across it 22 years ago. A lady who was with us had to hang onto both of us the whole way. I’ll admit I felt better after we were across.

I'm not sold on that pack mule theory unless they have wings. Some where I read about the suicides off the bridge, seems like was quite a few. We went down the incline railroad last time we were out there, was blazing hot on top and shivering cold on the bottom, seen some of the remains of the big wooden pipes down there. Think the bungy jumpers use the bridge too. Used to be a no fishing sign on the bridge and it's a thousand feet to the river.

Weather your walking or driving the clickity clack of those wooden planks can put a knot in your stomach.

Don't think I could cross it any fashion. I'd be so dizzy, I'd fall over.

Here is your answer
bridge

You're not going to get there any younger, pack the old man's suit case and go.

Thanks, nice explanation.

I always wondered how they got the first cables across. One really is amazing is the project size and the short length of time it took to finish it. Today it would take years to et it done. I saw some pictures of the Macknaw Bridge in northern Mich being built and from the time the steel was laid in around a year the first cars were going across it. We had to stop on it once in the middle section and you could feel the bridge swaying. Last summer they were painting on the cables and guys were walking around on them like it was nothing. First I would not be up there and if I was I would leave dents in the metal from my fingers hanging on

You don't put the whole thing up at once and put cables on it. They started with the main cables and was done in sections and supported with cables as they went.

Walking ON a bridge is easy. Picture of my brother and I.

The bridge at Niagara Falls. Do you know how they got the first cable across? Well actually the first string. A little kid flew his KITE across the river.

Buddy and I walked across it. Was on it when a couple cars drove across. Would not have a problem riding a motorcycle across, would not be in a car going across. Wife started walking across, got maybe 40-50 feet and had to have someone help her off the bridge.

Did not realize they had wildfires there that burned everything. Was 2006 when We were there. I remember it was crazy expensive to get into the park & bridge.

The first cables pulled across the George Washington Bridge were pulled by aircraft called gyrocopters.